The Abandoned Villainess Takes Everything This Time - Chapter 175

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

175.
“What are we going to do?”
Those gathered in the Sanctuary began to pace anxiously.
At first, they’d maintained the Sanctuary’s opening with impressive vigor, wielding every Sacred Object and ability at their disposal.
But then.
“If Miss can’t escape in time……!”
Marguerite muttered nervously.
The heads of the other Five Great Families attempted to maintain the Sanctuary, but it was futile.
“Ah……!”
“It’s, it’s disappearing!”
The afterimage of the World Tree, its silver buds blooming, began to fade hazily.
“No!”
The moment several people cried out in anguish.
Snow began to fall upon the vanishing tree, glittering softly.
‘In this season?’
‘Could this be—?’
‘Is that the snow of Annihilation?!’
Yet the World Tree was not being annihilated. Instead, it drew in only the energy itself and began to grow lush and verdant.
So that the buds Lillian had bound when she saved the world could bloom more fully.
Flowers blooming in the snow—the sight was impossibly beautiful.
“Annihilation, passed down through the ages…….”
“The power of death…… it should have been…….”
People slowly turned around.
As though all sound in the world had ceased, a silver-haired man approached gradually.
Unbelievable, yet unmistakable.
“Your, Your Highness the Crown Prince……!”
“Your Highness has—!”
Just as Saint Lillian had promised, the future Emperor had been resurrected!
All knelt at once, their eyes flooded with reverence.
Yet Ren, rather than acknowledge them, gazed irritably up at the afterimage.
“This person really.”
How much does he have to be sprawling around to lose his mind like that.
“And this god fellow—.”
If Lillian is struggling this much, shouldn’t he be enduring something too?
‘I wish the First One had paid a price like that as well.’
Ren reached out his hand toward the World Tree’s afterimage.
It was time to bring back his beloved.
* * *
“Aaah, Your Majesty!”
Lillian was in despair.
Truly, she knelt on both knees with both hands flat on the ground.
“I don’t think I can do any more!”
Several days after her spirit came to dwell in the Tower of Spacetime.
Lillian had fallen into despair while stopping countless cracks and fissures.
They simply weren’t visible to the human eye!
There were far more minute fractures than expected……!
Yet the Emperor placed the Torch back into Lillian’s hands, and she harbored a glimmer of hope.
“Come now, rise. You…… must work.”
Hope was shattered.
“You can do it…….”
“……Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lillian gritted her teeth and accepted the Torch.
‘Oh, the stern Tarandia. How frightening.’
Now she understood where Ren’s firm resolve came from.
Yet for all her complaints, working hard was far better than the alternative.
If only for a moment she could erase the memory of parting.
‘I’m glad your leg doesn’t hurt anymore.’
She hated sinking into sadness and hanging limp.
But right now, when her spirit was so exhausted she was about to collapse, it wasn’t easy to avoid.
‘I never knew saving the world felt like working 100 hours straight…….’
Lillian fell asleep while in the midst of saving the world.
And when she opened her eyes, she saw a strangely familiar barracks ceiling above her.
What is this.
“……It’s too absurd to even say.”
A man’s voice came from beside her.
A silver-haired man with somewhat longer hair, tied at the nape of his neck, came into view.
Lillian gazed at that face intently.
That expression caked with disbelief, those sharp eyes hardened by a temperamental nature—
……I miss you.
But when she opened her mouth, a hoarse sound came out involuntarily.
“Wa, water, I’m th, thirsty.”
Even though I love my work, my throat dried out from constantly using the Torch.
Come on, give me water quickly…….
“Come to your senses and get up.”
“But, why…….”
“You need to drink water.”
Lillian accepted the water in a half-awake state.
Which one could it be.
Ren, or Your Highness.
Or are they the same person now?
‘Could I have slipped into the past.’
When you don’t know which one it is, honorifics are the answer. A person ought to know how to be polite…….
“You imprinted yourself on me anyway, Miss. What are we supposed to do now.”
Really, for someone so desperate to imprint on me, he doesn’t know his own future very well at all.
And then he dies anyway, never knowing how hard I have to struggle.
“What are you thinking about now?”
“That you’re quite late, is what I’m thinking…….”
Ren, you really did come back to life, didn’t you?
You’re not just going to sleep forever, are you?
“I imprinted myself alone just now, Ren. What do you mean late.”
Look at that reproachful tone!
“Hmph……. When were you ever clingy toward me.”
“……? I was?”
Seeing his expression as though there’d never be reason for me to cling to him, spite rose in my heart.
“Why are you being so cold.”
“I am?”
“Are you going to keep spouting nonsense while trusting your face?”
“I am?”
Yes, it’s you I’m talking about.
You, who kept nagging me to eat my meals properly and not just sit around making artifacts, or my muscles would atrophy.
……Yet you yourself were dying of a burst heart while making me such promises.
“I’ve kept all my promises with this now…….”
“Promises? What promises.”
“Ah, don’t talk to me. Work is done…….”
Do you know how many times I’ve gone back to fix things to prevent the world’s destruction?
A total of 534 times. Damn it, how much must I have broken the world for this to happen.
Sob, the Torch and I have reached our limit.
“I’m going to sleep…….”
Wake me up later…….
And with that, Lillian woke and pressed her face to the ground, thrashing silently.
Ah, I should have told him about the future!
* * *
After that, Lillian slipped into the past several more times while saving the world, exhaustion pulling her under.
The Emperor would fish her out like a hooked fish and warn her.
‘Remember that it’s all in the past now…… and that the only moment he will return is this one. Always remember that.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty.’
But it was harder than expected when she saw that longed-for face.
Especially since her subjective workload was around 100 hours a week, her mind kept growing hazy.
So it was truly unavoidable that she opened her eyes once more as the ‘First One’.
This time, Lillian was limping away across a snow-covered field.
“Ugh, hah……!”
White breath poured from her mouth in clouds.
‘My right leg is injured.’
Then this must be…….
A memory from the ‘Final War’.
“Hah……!”
“Lillian!”
“Don’t come near!”
She turned to see an armed silver-haired man in pursuit.
Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen him like that.
Yet contrary to her dim awareness, she hurled abuse at the Crown Prince from that time.
“I hate you most of all, the one who makes everyone hate me!”
The Crown Prince couldn’t find a Controller with compatible nature, his body deteriorating rapidly.
Born of the noble Controller house of Tillard, he hated himself for being unable to do anything.
……He’d never known love, so he didn’t truly understand why he hated himself.
‘That’s why he couldn’t endure it and ran.’
Honestly, he had nowhere to go. The pressure kept him from thinking such rational thoughts.
In the snow, the Crown Prince showed no movement.
‘What happens next?’
What happens—he gets angry and takes her away, and then they fight bitterly.
Maybe in that time, she and he were like lovers who’d seen each other at rock bottom…….
But then, he took a step closer.
“……So. You really hate me that much?”
“Yes! So go—!”
“Lil.”
“……!”
Her breath caught.
No one called her that in this era.
The man facing her smiled sadly, his face contorted.
“Why. Have you come to hate me now that I’ve made you wait so long?”
“……Ah.”
“That can’t be.”
He extended his hand and drew closer.
“We promised to watch the flowers bloom next spring together.”
“…….”
Lillian stood still.
She couldn’t say anything at all.
Not until he ran to her and pulled her into his arms.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————